Ankle-brace.



C. H. IRISH.

ANKLE BRACB.

APPLIUATION FILED 13110.23, 1909.

Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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ANKLE BRAGB. APPLIOATION FILED DEO. 23, 1909.

983,721. Patented F9117, 1911.

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cured thereto.

the lower end of the standard which bracket sra efr I1;

CHARLES H. IRISH, 0F ZION CITY, ILLINOIS.

ANKLE-BRACE.

Application filed December 23, 1909.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. larsl-r, a citizen of the United States,residing at Zion City, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Ankle-Braces, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to ankle braces, and more particularly to thatclass of ankle braces adapted for use in connection with skates.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple form of brace whichmay be readily applied to any standard skate, and constructed andarranged to prevent the ankle from bending or twisting sidewise.

Another object is to provide an ankle brace which may be adjusted toaccommodate ankles of different size.

Another object is to simplify and otherwise improve on devices of thisclass, and to such ends the invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction and arrangement, which are fully described in thisspeciication, and the essential features of which are particularlypointed out in the claims.

rlhe invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings furnished herewithin which- Figure 1 is a side view of the ankle brace attached to a skateand showing a persons shoe and part of the leg in dotted lines, Fig. 2is a pla-ne view of the ankle band and certain other parts of thedevice, Fig. 3 is a view partly in rear elevation and partly in verticalcross section, the line or section being taken at 3-3, Fig. 1, Fig. 4Lis a side view of the ankle band that secures the upper end of thedevice to the leg of the user, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of onemember of a cert-ain standard, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a bracketwhich forms part of the standard, Fig. 7 is a detail horizontal sectiontaken on the line 7-7, Fig. 1, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of amodified form of the bracket.

Referring to the drawings, A, represents an ice skate of ordinary formprovided with the usual runner a, and the clamps al, for attaching ittothe shoe of the user.

The ankle brace is shown at B, and in the preferred form is arranged tobe removably attached to the runner of the skate. The brace comprises ingeneral a jointed standard b, and an ankle band b1, pivotally se- Abracket 10, is provided at may be of any suitable construction, hereshown as comprising a sheet metal bracket having an upright post 11,from which pro- `ects two horizontal members 12, that are adapted to lieon the sides of the ruimer a, and be secured thereto in any desirablemanner. I have shown longitudinal slots 13, in the horizontal members12, through which extend fastening means, here shown as screws 14:, thathave nuts 15, upon their threaded ends for clamping the bracket 10, tothe runner. This merely illustrates one forni of means for attaching thedevice to a skate and it is obvious that various other simple means maybe substituted in its place. In order to obtain greater strength, thebracket 10, is stamped up with a bead 16, that extends longitudinally ofthe upright or post 11, as well as of the horizontal members 12. Anopening 17, is provided in the post 1l, to accommodate a skate key incase the device is to be attached to a hockey skate.

Adjustably secured to the upper end of the post 11, is an extension 18,which has a longitudinally extending bead 19, that seats in the bead 1G,of the post 11. A bolt and nut 20, clamp the two parts together and oneor both of said parts are formed with a longitudinally extending slot21, to permit of the adjustment of one part upon the other'. The upperend of the extension 18, is formed with ears 22, between kwhich arepivotally secured the ears 28, of a stem 24, which is slidably mountedin a sleeve 25, pivoted at its upper end to the bracket 26, thatprojects rearwardly from the upper side of the ankle band b1. A bracket27, is secured near the lower edge of the ankle band, and has arearwardly extending elongated eye 28, surrounding the sleeve 25. Saidbrackets 26, 27, provide a long bearing for the standard, and guide itto move solely lin a direction longitudinal of the skate.

The stem and sleeve have a limited amount of longitudinal movement withrespect to each other and as shown said movement is regulated by a pin28a, which is secured in the sleeve 25, and extends through alongitudinally extending slot 29, formed in the wall of the stem 24. Thelower end of the stem may be bent up to form shoulders 30, and betweensaid shoulders and the pin 28a, is interposed a coiled spring 31. Theupper end of the stemy 24, is closed by a cap 32, and between said capand the pin 28, is interposed a second coiled spring Said springsoperate to hold the ankle band in a normal position and by adjusting theextension 18, up or down the band can be brought into position just atthe top edge of the shoe C, as I have found that the most eiiicientresults are obtained by placing the ankle band at the upper edge of theshoe.

Any form of ankle band may be employed, but the one which I have shownis particularly advantageous in a device of this class. As shown itcomprisesga leather band 26, that passes around the leg of the wearerand a plurality of straps 34, which extend out from one of the edges ofthe band and are arranged for engagement with buckles 35, secured to theother edge of the band. It may be found desirable to wrap the straps oneor more times around the Vleg and for this reason I have provided holes36, in the band 26, through which said straps may be passed, as shown inFig. 2, and then brought around and secured in place by the buckles 35.

F ig. 8 shows a bracket 10a, in which the members 12a, are separated toa greater extent than are the members 12, of the preferred form, therebyenabling said bracket 10, t0 be attached to a roller skate. Rollerskates usually have a bracket orblock of some sort projecting down fromthe supporting plate which bracket or block is arranged to carry therear rollers. The members 12a, may be bolted or otherwise secured tosaid block.

It will be noted that the hinge or joint between the upper and lowerparts of the device is located just to the rear of the shoe andapproximately on a horizontal line with the ankle joint. This permitsthe ankle to bend freely in a forward or backward direction, but byreason of the rigidity of the parts the ankle cannot bend sidewise, butis held in alinement. By reason of the sliding connection between thetwo parts of the arm, the ankle band does not slip up or down, therebyavoiding vthe danger of chafing the leg.

I realize that various alterations and modifications of this device arepossible without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do nottherefore desire to limit myself to the exact form of construction andarrangement shown and described.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The combination with a standard arranged to be detachably secured infixed position upon a skate so as to extend up from the rear thereof andbehind the foot of the user, of an ankle band having upper and lowerbearing brackets arranged to provide a long bearing for the upper end ofsaid standard, said standard being pivotally secured to one of saidbrackets.

'.lhe combination with a standard comprising two members pivotallyconnected together upon a pivot which extends transverse to the skateupon which the standard is attached, one of said members beingdetachably secured in fixed position upon a skate so as to extend upfrom the rear thereof and behind the foot of the user and beinglongitudinally extensible, an ankle band adapted to be secured to theleg of the user and a pivot connection between the upper end of thestandard and said ankle band.

3. rlhe combination with a standard comprising two members pivotallyconnected together upon a pivot which extends transversely of the skateupon which said standard is attached, one of said members beingdetachably secured in lixed position upon a skate so as to project upfrom the rear end thereof and behind the foot of the user and beinglongitudinally extensible, of an ankle band adapted to be secured to theleg of the user, upper and lower brackets extending rearward from saidankle band and adapted to maintain said standard against lateral playwith respect to the ankle band and a pivot pin for pivotally securingsaid standard to the upper bracket.

4. The construction with a bracket, having attachment means constructedand arranged to detachably secure said bracket in fixed position upon askate, a vertically adjustable extension secured to said bracket, anankle band adapted to be secured to the leg of a user, and a two partconnecting device between said extension and ankle band, said connectingdevice being' hinged upon the band and extension and having a slidingconnection between its two parts.

5. The combination with a bracket having an upright post and two slottedhorizontal members arranged to lie on the sides of a skate runner, andmeans extending through said slots for securing the bracket to the skateruimer, of an extension adjustably secured to said post, a two part armhinged to said extension on an axis transverse to the skate, an ankleband, a bracket secured thereto, a pivotal connection between the upperend of said arm and the bracket on the ankle band, and a guide below thebracket on the ankle band and adapted to guide the lower end of said armagainst lateral movement.

G. The combination with ed to be secured to a skate and an extensionadjustably secured thereto, of an arm hinged to said extension on anaxis which extends transversely to the skate and comprising atelescoping stem and sleeve, an ankle band adapted to be secured to theleg of the user, and connections between said band and arm.

7. The combination with a bracket, adapted to be secured to a skate andan extension adjustably secured thereto, an arm pivoted a bracket adaptiioo lio

to said extension and comprising a stem, a sleeve slidably mounted onsaid stem, a pin secured to the sleeve and extending through alongitudinally extending slot in the stem and springs on the oppositesides o said pin, an ankle band and means for pivotally securing saidsleeve to said ankle band.

8. In an ankle brace of the class described, the combination With anankle band, of an arm pivoted thereon and comprising two members, one ofwhich is longitudinally movable upon the other and longitudinallyadjustable attachment means pivoted to the lower end of said arm andadapted to be detachably secured upon a skate.

9. In an ankle brace of the class described, the combination with a postextending up l from the rear of a skate, and an ankle band. of a tivopart arm, one part ofwhich is pivotally connected with the post, and theother part of Which is pivotally connected with the ankle band, the onepart being guided upon and slidable upon the other, and means forlimiting the movement of one part upon the other, including a resilientelement.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my naine at Chicago,county of Cook, and State of Illinois, this 8th day of December, 1909.

n v CHARLES H. IRISH.

itnesses FANNIE F. RICHARDS,

CHARLES O. SHERVEY.

